Can-opener



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAS BROUCK ALLIGER, OF RONDOUT, NEW YORK.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,263, dated July 29,1890.

Application filed December 9, 1889- Serial No. 383,015- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAS BRoUoK ALLIGER, of Roudout, in the county ofUlster and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Can-Openers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in can-openers, and has for itsobject to provide a simple device so constructed that when thecutting-blade is passed through a portion of the can to be opened it maybe made to assume an in clin ed position,whereby as theknife is drawnthrough the metal of the can a clean shearing cut is produced with aminimum of exertion.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters and figures of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device illustrating itsapplication to a can and in the act of opening the same. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the device detached from a can, illustratingtheknife-holder in two positions. Fig. 3 is a vertical section throughthe knife-holder, said holder being shown in position upon a portion ofthe body-bar; and Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of theknifeholderdetached from the body-bar.

In carrying out the invention the body of the device consists of abar A,preferably provided with a handle 11 at one end, the other extremityhaving attached thereto an angled essentially L-shaped pivot-pin 12. Thepivotpin extends vertically downward from the under side of the body-barand horizontally be yond the end thereof, as best shown in Figs. 1 and2. The body-bar is also provided upon its under face, between itsends,with a toothed surface 13. In connection with the body-bar a knifeholderor carrier B is employed, consistin g of a body-section 14,adapted to slide upon the body-bar of the device, being to that endprovided with an opening 15 of suitable size and contour, and ahandleseetion 16, which latter is attached to the body in such man noras to extend rearward at an angle thereto, as illustrated. The outerface of the bodysection it is provided with a vertical recess 17,extending across a portion of its face, the base-wall of which recess isinclined from the top of the body downward, the greatest bevel orinclination being at the lower end, as best shown at 18 in Fig. 4.

In the recessed surface 17 the opening 15 is located, and upon saidrecessed surface, flush with the upper wall of the opening, a stop-lug19 is formed. The inner or rear surface of the body-section 14, at thetop and bottom walls of the opening 15, is beveled, the upper surfacedownward, as illustrated at 20 in Fig. 3, and the lower surface upward,as shown at 21 in the same figure.

The bevel 20 permits the knife-holder to assume an inclined positionupon the bodybar, and the lower bevel 21 forms a pawl upon thebody-section,which,when the holder is inclined, enters between certainof the teeth upon the body-bar and looks the knifeholder in the desiredposition thereon.

The knife 22 is inserted in the lower end of the uncut portion of thebody-section 14 of the holder, and the knife extends outward from thesaid body-section in a plane essentially parallel with the plane of theupper surface of the said uncut portion, as is best shown in Fig. 4. Theknife 22 may be attached to the holder in any suitable or approvedmanner, or may form an integral portion of the same, and the knife is soshaped in cross-section that it is inclined or beveled from its outeredge in the direction of the body-bar.

In operation, the knife-holder having been placed upon the body-bar, toopen the top of a can, for instance, the pivot-pin 12 is driven into thetop of said can at or near its center, and the knife-carrier is thrownupward until the stop 19 contacts'with the upper face of thebody-bar,which will occur when the bodysection 14 of the knife-holder isin the essentially vertical position shown in Fig. 2, and when theknife-holder is in this position the knife extends downward at one sideof and below the body-bar at almost a right angle thereto. Vhen theknife is in this position,

knife-holder and the knife attached thereto assume the inclinedposition. Then the knife holder or carrier is in this inclined position,the pawl created by the beveled surface 21 enters the space between twoof the teeth of the body-bar, whereby the knife holder and body-bar aresecurely locked to- .gether. The can-top may now be quickly andconveniently removed with a minimum of exertion upon the part of theoperator by carrying the handle portion of the device around the can,the p n 12 acting as a fulcrnm.

As the knife is inclined when the cut is made, a shearing-cut isproduced, and it is well-known that when a knife is in the inclinedposition illustrated less exertion is required to out anything broughtin contact with it than when the knife is placed in a vertical position.By inclining the knife transversely in the direction of the body-bar asthe device is carried around a can all liability of the knife Workingupward and out of its kerf is avoided.

It will be readily observed that the device is capable of expeditiousand convenient application to a can, and may be as readily andconveniently manipulated to open the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A can-opener comprising abody-bar provided with afulcrum-pin at one end, a knifecarrier having an opening in its head forthe passage of .the body-bar, and a knife projecting from the end of itshead and in a plane parallel with the upper surface of the head, saidbody-bar and carrier being adjustably locked together, substantially asdescribed. 2. In a can-opener, the combination, with a body-bar having atoothed under-surface and provided with a fulcrum-pin at one end, of aknife-carrier having an aperture in its head to receive the body-bar andprovided with a knife projecting from the head in a plane parallel withthe upper surface of the said head, and with a pawl on its lower portionfor engaging the toothed surface of the body-bar to lockthe carrier tosaid bar, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with a body-bar provided with a toothed undersurface and aful- 'crum-pin, of a knife-carrier apertured to receive thebod y-bar and provided with a stoplug above and a pawl at the lower endof said aperture and a knife carried by said carrier, substantially asshown and described.

4. The combination, with a body-bar provided with a toothed undersurfaceand afulcrnm-pin at one end,0f atool-holderconiprisin g a body-sectionand a handle-section, the latter beinginclined at an angle to theformer, and the body-section being provided with an opening adapted toreceive the body-bar, a stop-lug integral with one face of thebodysection located near the upper wall of the opening therein, a pawlformed upon the opposite face of the body-section at the lower wall ofthe opening, and a knife secured to the under edge of said body-sectionat one side, the said knife being beveled to have a downward inclinationin the direction of the bodybar, substantially as shown and described.

I-IAS BROUCK ALLIGER.

\Vitnesses:

J. T. ACKER, J r., E. M.- CLARK.

